FORT WAYNE - Coaches have been saying it for years during state tournament play, and Thursday third-year Warsaw boys golf coach Ben Barkey said he's a believer in the "survive and advance" cliche.

"Survive and advance, I'm a big believer in that today," said Barkey, whose sixth-ranked Tigers advanced from the Homestead Regional at Chestnut Hills in Fort Wayne to the state finals on the virtue of a fifth-man tiebreaker. "We played a great front nine, and then we just kind of slipped on the last few holes. I'm just glad we had five scores in the 70s. It was a long day. It was almost as long waiting as it was playing in the heat."

The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, qualify for Tuesday's first round of the state finals at Legends of Indiana in Franklin.

Leo won the team championship with a four-man score of 300, beating Concord by one stroke. Warsaw and Lakeland tied for third, with Warsaw picking up the final transfer spot based on sophomore Grant Slater's 79, which beat Laker David Young's 86.

Advancing to the state finals as individuals were DeKalb's Taylor Holt, whose 70 was the best score of the day, Wabash's Tyler Olson and Lakeland's Adam Winans. Both Olson and Winans shot even-par 72.

Northridge finished fifth with a 308, followed by Wawasee (317), Plymouth (317), DeKalb (317), Bishop Luers (319), Homestead (322), Blackhawk Christian (322) and Northrop (353).

The Tigers shot a 147 on the front nine, 3-over as a team and good for a two stroke lead, and had they duplicated their score on the back they would have carded a new regional record.

With sophomore Tad Nieter - playing the No. 5 spot but the first Tiger to tee off as teams teed off in a 5-4-3-2-1 format - on the 17th hole, Barkey was projecting somewhere around a 293.

Because the Tigers struggled on the final few holes it didn't happen, and Warsaw's players, the players' parents, fans and the Tiger coaching staff were left to wait and wonder as the final groups came in.

"I don't really know what happened," Barkey said of the way his team played on the final few holes. "We shot 147 on the front and were feeling confident. Everyone else is talking positive about your team, and then you start thinking positive. It was amazing how quick things turned around."

While their scores went south over the final few holes, Barkey in particular was proud of Nieter for keeping his composure on No. 18.

Nieter inadvertently teed off on the wrong tee station, teeing off at tee station farther back, and had to take a two-stroke penalty.

Nieter was about to chip onto the green when Barkey told him of the ruling and carted him back to the tee station to play the hole again. Nieter essentially parred the hole, but the two-stroke penalty left him with a double bogey on the hole and a final score of 78.

"It's unfortunate that it happened, but I'm proud of Tad for keeping his composure," said Barkey.

If Nieter had lost control mentally after the ruling, Warsaw wouldn't be playing at state.

Had senior Jake Brodhead, playing in the No. 1 spot, not birdied the 10th hole after shooting 3-over on the front, the Tigers would be done for the season.

And had Winans not missed an eagle putt on No. 18, the Tigers wouldn't be headed back to the state finals, where they finished third as a team last year.

"I'm just happy to be going back to state," said Barkey. "We played good today,we just lost a little focus at the end. That happens here. Chestnut has the reputation for jumping out at you in that situation."

Senior Chris Hanson led Warsaw with a 72, while classmates Jon Clevenger and Brodhead carded 77s. Nieter and sophomore classmate Grant Slater rounded out the Tiger lineup with a 78 and 79, respectively.

Warsaw was the only team in the 12-team field that had all five players shoot in the 70s.

Wawasee, which won the Warsaw Sectional at Stonehenge Saturday and finished the regular season with a 17-1 record, concluded its season at the regional after shooting 317.

Senior Darrin Cripe led Wawasee with a 75, while Andy Custer shot 78, Andy Wolfe 80, Jordan Dawes 84 and Derek Blanchard 100.

Blanchard replaced senior Tyler Rondeau, who didn't play because of grade issues, in the lineup.

HOMESTEAD REGIONAL

Team scores - Leo 300, Concord 301, Warsaw 304, Lakeland 304, Northridge 308, Wawasee 317, Plymouth 317, DeKalb 317, Bishop Luers 319, Homestead 322, Blackhawk 322, Northrop 353

Warsaw scores - Jake Brodhead 77, Chris Hanson 72, Jon Clevenger 77, Grant Slater 79, Tad Nieter 78

Wawasee scores - Darrin Cripe 75, Andy Wolfe 80, Andy Custer 78, Jordan Dawes 84, Derek Blanchard 100 [[In-content Ad]]